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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. drill — the tool
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bore — to drill
  9. charge — a price
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pop — music
  12. last — final
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. charge — electricity
  15. last — finally
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pop — soda
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. last — to go on
  20. drill — army training
  21. bat — the animal
  22. drill — a practice
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bat — for baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com